Met Officer Sentenced to Life in Prison for Committing 10 Counts of Rape

A man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman at knifepoint while serving as a Metropolitan Police officer has been sentenced to life in prison for a series of sexual offenses.

Cliff Mitchell, 24, was found guilty of 10 counts of rape, three counts of raping a child under 13, one count of kidnapping, and a breach of a non-molestation order during a trial at Croydon Crown Court. These offenses occurred between 2014 and 2023.

Despite previously being under investigation for rape in 2017, Mitchell joined the Metropolitan Police in 2021.

In April 2017, a girl reported that Mitchell had raped her multiple times between 2014 and 2017. The Met investigated the allegations but took no further action.

Mitchell applied to join the Met in 2020 and began training in August 2021.

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He served as a neighborhoods officer in Hounslow, West London from June 2022 to May 2023 before moving to the response team.

Metropolitan Police Condemns Mitchell’s Crimes

According to the Met, Mitchell’s actions were “abhorrent” and he would not have been permitted to join the force under their current vetting procedures, implemented following the Couzens and Carrick cases.

The court heard how Mitchell raped his latest victim in September 2023 by entering her house, directing her to restrain herself, blindfolding and bounding her with cable ties, and taping her mouth shut.

He warned her that no one would believe her due to his position as a police officer.

Mitchell forced her into his car, but she managed to escape in Hackbridge, South London, and sought help from another driver who provided her with refuge in his vehicle before contacting the authorities.

He was apprehended seven miles away in Putney after his vehicle was stopped.

Following his arrest, the 2017 rape allegation was reinvestigated and he faced six additional charges.

Mitchell was suspended from duty and dismissed in December 2023, prior to his trial.

Offenses Driven by ‘Desire for Control’

During sentencing, Mrs. Justice May ordered Mitchell to serve a minimum of 13 years and 225 days in prison, describing him as “clearly a deeply troubled young man” whose “serious criminal behavior appears to stem from a desire for control.”

“The fact that he was a police officer, though for a short period, will make imprisonment a more severe experience for him,” the judge remarked.

Mitchell served as a police constable in the Met’s West Area Basic Command Unit and was stationed in Hounslow, West London during several of the offenses.

Mrs. Justice May commended a passerby who aided the victim in September 2023.

For legal reasons, none of Mitchell’s victims can be named, but one victim stated in an impact statement, “You have shown no remorse for what you did to us. You deserve to spend the rest of your life locked up because you are a serious threat to every woman on the streets.”

The court was informed that the victims continue to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder due to their experiences.

Another victim told Mitchell, “I hold you responsible for your actions; you took away my self-worth.”

‘You Are a Pathetic Excuse of a Man’

“You are a pathetic excuse of a man. I am allowing myself to heal from the trauma,” she added.

Following the sentencing, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy of the Met remarked, “The victim statements read in court vividly depict the enduring impact of Mitchell’s crimes on their lives. The fact that he abused his authority as an officer to manipulate them is even more abhorrent.”

“We understand the concerns surrounding Mitchell’s inclusion in the Met following an initial rape report in 2017 and the questions this raises,” he added.

Mr. Cundy stated, “Under our reformed vetting process, Mitchell would not have passed vetting and been accepted into the Met.”

“We are committed to reform and investment in our vetting unit, which is now larger, better equipped, and staffed by individuals who exhibit greater professional curiosity, diligence, and determination than ever before,” he concluded.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has not yet commented on Mitchell, but he previously expressed support for Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.

PA Media contributed to this report.